


Baby, Should I Call You a Friend?

by asertyjkl



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is a Little Shit, But so innocent, F/M, Gen, aged-up, and lovable, you can't hate him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 13:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17367080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asertyjkl/pseuds/asertyjkl
Summary: Marinette fell hard all over again. Adrien fell a lot harder...but he's still just as dense as he was in collége.





	Baby, Should I Call You a Friend?

**Author's Note:**

> Song inspo: [Should I? - Pheobe Ryan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiGpTy9Pr1E)

The first time it happened they were on a night out with friends celebrating Adrien’s arrival back to Paris from University. Marinette had fluttered around on her tiptoes all day; spinning and dancing while she worked, her heart pittering at the thought of seeing Adrien again after 4 lengthy years. For the special occasion, she pulled out her favorite handmade dress and painted her nails red to match.

The wine bar was filled with jazz and the delicate sounds of laughter and conversation. The dimmed lights provided an ambiance sweet with delicious intimacy and sense of privacy, which ultimately enticed Adrien to softly press his lips to Marinette’s for the first time. Her soft giggles and sweet smile kept calling him back in, dizzying each other with their champagne-scented breath.

When questioned by Nino later, Adrien would insist that he had not been intoxicated. At least not by the alcohol.

Nino held his groans in as he listened to the hopeless romantic that was his best friend deny any feelings deeper than friendship towards his fiancee’s best friend. He could begin to imagine the turmoil that Alya and Marinette would be in and harangue he would have to listen on his oblivious friend’s behalf.

...

The next time that Marinette saw Adrien was almost four months after their wine bar celebration. She was a guest at a Gabriel event, in which she spent most of her night networking and politely smiling at investors.

Adrien caught her eye by chance as bodies mingled and moved along the courtroom outside. The fairy lights strung around the tent illuminated her eyes and he dived deep before he realized it. With polite apologies they excused themselves from their current parties and met in the middle, eyes still twinkling with light. 

Without exception, Adrien felt, Marinette looked exquisite, something he spared no wasted time whispering in her ear as they danced. Marinette had never seen the smile on his face before, but it was goofy and enchanting and all for her. She delighted at the attention and flushed a lovely pink as he continued to gaze at her like they were the only ones in the world.

The rest of the night was a daze as the two danced and strolled the gardens. Unabashed, Adrien ignored the few who dared to strode over in the attempt to interrupt their conversation. His father would later reprimand him for his uncouth behavior and Adrien would deny such bearing. His recollection of the night was much more innocent than that which was observed by the soiree. He even had the gall to impishly shrug his shoulders and smile when questioned where they left to upon departing the event together.

...

Only in her most wild and hormone-driven dreams had Marinette imagined that she would lie naked in Adrien’s cool and soft linen sheets. Yet they were on their third rendezvous when Adrien rolled over and tickled her sides, causing her to burst into sweet giggles.

The first night had been as sweet as chocolate-dipped strawberries. Partly because they had snacked on them after taking turns making each other's toes curl in bed. He told her miraculous stories of adventure and excitement. He shared parts of himself that she had never known, falling deeper with each adorable grin and sweet kiss.

The second night had been laced with mischief, as they chased each other around Adrien’s apartment stark naked. Marinette’s sweet giggles filled every corner of every room, filling Adrien with the feelings of soaring through the Paris skyline. He gave more of himself to her that he had ever allowed himself to reveal, finding comfort in the familiar blue eyes of his princess.

Tonight, Marinette hesitantly gave into Adrien’s playfulness while silently wondering if when morning came, would his vibrant stories and sweet smiles end as abruptly as their previous trysts.

...

Among busy days and long nights working, Adrien and Marinette found time for each other one night a week or so. Marinette lapped up as much as she could at the sweet, tender words and caresses that were offered to her at night. She accepted Adrien’s cold morning-after attitude as a part of their relationship. Many times to make herself feel better, she wrote it off as him not being a morning person.

Communication was as common as it could be with their busy schedules. Marinette woke up to his texts and went to sleep with a good night of her own. Otherwise, there was not much time to get together during the day. That was the truth for her and any of her friends, including Alya, who she visits merely once a month for coffee.

Thus, every night spent together was all the more precious. Something that Marinette looked forward to as soon as she left his apartment the following morning with not much more than a kiss on the cheek.

It wasn’t until another five months that Marinette found out that perhaps the two of them were not on the same page after all.

...

Marinette walked with a lively bounce to her step, much like she had the previous time she ventured to the exact same wine bar. She had worn a new design of hers, legs clad in warm black tights and a sweet red cape around her shoulders. She was a picture of delicious and flirty poise, or so Adrien had thought as he watched her walk over with a kittenish smirk.

He was seated with the guys surrounding him but had gotten up to help his companion out of her coat. Gently placing it over his own, he chuckled as he was teased by Kim, Max, and Ivan. Turning his back on Marinette and the ladies for a moment, he confidently informed them that Marinette was just a very good friend. He sat down again and sipped his wine, unaware of the reactions across the table.

...

Nino watched from his end of the table at the trainwreck, the orchestrater sublime and unaware.

His stomach churned as he caught the fire in Alya’s eyes. She was being held back by Mylene while Alix hit her forehead repeatedly with her palm, looking unjustified and thoroughly frustrated. Rose and Juleka solemnly placed their hands over Marinette’s. His own breath caught as he dared to look at the poor girl in the middle of the conflict generated by their friends.

The corners of Marinette’s eye tickled with unshed tears as she breathed in deeply. She turned away from the others and sauntered to the bar instead.

Hurt and embarrassment were just two of the many emotions that swam through her body. But the strongest, she found as she slammed her shot glass on the counter, was most certainly anger.

...

With the rest of the girls looking after Marinette, Alya took the time to observe her prey. She referred to him as such because when she was going to be done with him, no one would recognize the shreds that were left. She kept her primal desires at bay as she made eye-contact with her beloved.

It was most certainly difficult having best friends that were...a thing. A very undefined thing. The reminder stirred anger within Alya once again. She had spent the last 4 year watching her best friend grow into the most beautiful and successful woman that she had ever met. She watched her blossom and overcome obstacles which feats only rivaled that of Ladybug. 

In the last nine months, she watched her best friend being emotionally pulled in opposite directions. Marinette had not shied away from details, eager to impart her enamored nights with her long-time childhood crush.

In the next room, quite literally, she could hear similar stories shared from the other perspective. And try as she might, she could not break to Marinette that Adrien was not on the same boat. Not when the woman had so much stress already on her as a fledgling designer entering competitions and making headlines.

Alya had planted hint and soothed her friend’s vigorous enthusiasm as much as she could, simultaneously protecting her friend’s heart and dissuading her desires for morning affections from the emotionally-stunted man she insisted on falling in love with over and over again.

From across the table, her gaze caught Nino’s again. Their shoulders sunk heavily with the weight of their shared burdens.

...

Adrien insisted on driving the visibly intoxicated Marinette home, much to the rejection of all of his friends. He was startled by all of the offers of taxi calls and personally walking her back by the others that he almost missed Marinette swinging out of his arms and nearly toppling over. He caught her gently, much to the relief of their group of friends. A couple bid their farewells soon after, having second thoughts on taking the young woman home after all.

Nino and Alya stayed close by, insisting that Marinette go home with them. He grinned enigmatically and politely refused. After all, Marinette was no stranger to his home. Innocent as the comment might have been meant, their expressions had darkened.

Marinette groaned loudly and hung her weight off his body with her arms wrapped around his neck tightly. Adrien thought that she was very cute and reminiscent of his first love as she delegated the rest of their night as well as their best friends’. With her insistence, Alya and Nino left together and she allowed Adrien to help her into his car, vocalizing their need for a talk.

Adrien hoped that the talk was the same one he imagined when he first saw her strong, tight-clad thighs that night. Being a gentleman, he stored those thoughts for the morning...when Marinette would be more...herself.

He couldn’t help himself being beguiled by her sweet smiles, bell-like laughter, and strong resolve, reminiscent of his first love. He felt a connection unlike any other that he had felt in four years. He savored their time together and enjoyed their honest relationship. He felt grateful to have a friend who was so willing to open up as much of herself as he was willing to and share their secrets. Adrien’s only regret was that he couldn’t shake his feelings for another woman he used to know.

...

Once seated in Adrien’s car, Marinette looked down at her lap, planning the direction of the rest of the night. She knew what she wanted to express, just not what to say. Her romantic nature got in the way of her carefully planned words many times, demanding passionate kisses and expressions of love that evidently did not exist.

Lost in her own thoughts, she wasn’t aware that Adrien had parked his car until his door opened and he was unclasping her seatbelt for her. She allowed herself to place her hand in his as he helped her out of his vehicle and into his apartment.

Sitting in Adrien’s kitchen with a glass of water in front of her, she finally dared to look at him. His sweet smile dared to shake her resolve once, but she refused to allow it.

She had begun sounding very stern and formal, and, most of all, coherent. As she watched his smile slip and eyes widen, she tore her gaze away and became more impassioned. She had hopped off the stool and any doubt that Adrien might have had that she was still intoxicated disappeared as he watched her walk back and forth in the same line, ardently making her points.

He watched her emotions closely. Her hands had moved animatedly at her sides and in front of her, her hands clenching periodically in fists. His gaze switched from her red-painted nails to her red cape sprawled on the seat next to him. His head swam with recollection and emotions. He pasted his princess and his lady side by side and found that there was more overlap than not.

By the time Adrien put 2 and 2 together, his lady had left his apartment, taking all the warmth and sweetness with her.

It wasn’t until a few minutes after that he had snapped out of his state of stupefaction and realized that he hadn’t listened to anything that she had said.

...

Adrien had just enough time to throw his coat back on and slide his feet back into his shoes when his front door swung open, clocking him right in the face.

Alya had scoffed, claiming that he deserved it. Nino had enough shame to apologize.

Like a whirlwind, the duo came into his home and took over his direction. He was trying to make his way out to get his lady back, but Alya was doing every little bit to prevent it.

Adrien lost his cool and his manners. All his bred and taught tact fled at the moment that realization crashed down on him. He knew he wasn’t deserving. He knew that he could never make it up to her. And he knew that he was the biggest idiot having fallen in love with the same girl twice but not once realizing it until he had made his gravest mistake.

With a sharp feline-like growl, he drowned out Alya’s fiery with a sharp feline-like growl that came out of him. The couple watched the man prowl like a panther as he turned red in the face with anger and frustration.

Alya, luckily, did not need more than nine months to put 2 and 2 together. She quickly got to 5 and pushed the man out of his own house, hollering that he better run fast if he was going to catch up.

...

It had been years since Marinette had made a late-night stroll to the Eiffel tower. Much like the last time, tears brimmed her eyes as she gazed upwards, yearning to be at the top, looking down on her beloved Paris.

Her resolve strengthened as she continued to gaze above. Miraculous or none, she was Ladybug. She defeated Hawk Moth and saved Paris. She had loved and lost and loved and lost again. She would be fine, she told herself.

So it was only ironic that her resolve, so strongly stitched together, would break so completely from one strangled call.

“M’lady.”

...

He found her standing in front of the Eiffel tower, staring up at it intently. She looked so frail and cold that it appeared a gust of wind could have pushed her over. Knowing what he did, the presumption was laughable. Ladybug was one strong woman...and yet he had hurt her. Out of breath and desperate, he called for her with a voice garbled with emotion.

She immediately stiffened but could not control her cries, twisting his heart. Notwithstanding the despairing need to hold her, he bound down the final stairs to reach her, grasping her body close to his and molding them together.

He apologized over and over again. For his blindness, for his daftness, for hurting her, for not seeing sooner. He apologized for not trusting his instincts, for loving her and letting that get in the way of loving her, as confusing as that bloody was. He apologized as many times as he physically could, willing her to forgive him so that just maybe she would let him hold her again.

...

Adrien’s apologies fell on mostly deaf ears as Marinette still worked to calm herself. Once the man had collapsed on his knees and hugged his face to her stomach, she began to comprehend his words. He was spouting out nicknames for her that she had not heard in years. His apologies were riddled with past misgivings, those that were long before his graduating university. It clicked in her head that she was not listening to Adrien apologize, but Chat Noir. Visualizing her partner together with Adrien, she found more overlap than not, and the flood of emotion bubbled up in her chest again.

She grabbed his hands and pulled them away from her midsection. Dropping down to her knees to meet him, she grabbed his face roughly not being able to control her anger or excitement. She searched his eyes intensely for confirmation as he looked on morosely and jaded.

For the first time, Marinette looked at Adrien and saw not just the man she fell in love with, but also the partner that she had lost. Realization struck her as she threw her arms around him, smashing their bodies together. Hurt and embarrassment aside, her happiness to have found her partner dominated her emotions. Emotion bubbled in her chest again but this time it escaped as laughter.

At that moment, the two had realized the circles they ran around each other while active superheroes and found that history was bent on repeating itself. This time, they figured it out and together, they would support each other again. After all, Ladybug is nothing without her Chat Noir, and now that they have found each other, nothing was going to pull them apart.

Under the starry night with the Eiffel tower over their heads, they rejoined as two halves of a whole. Finally, the ladybug and cat miraculous holders were together and a balance was restored.


End file.
